Lola Likes Girls
by loganX5
Summary: "I've decided... Lola likes girls." A simple enough statement, said half in jest. But one that would have profound consequences for the relationship between Miley and Lilly. A Liley romance in six parts.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana.**

**Warning: Contains depictions of consensual f/f sex.**

**A/N: I wrote the first draft of this story close to two years ago now, back when **_**Hannah Montana**_** had just started its third season, the media was still speculating about Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson, and Hayden Panettiere and Kristen Bell were clowning around on the set of **_**Heroes**_**, putting on a show for the paparazzi whilst Hayden gave interviews saying how she liked the idea of being a lesbian. (These references will make sense once you read the story.) 'Lola Likes Girls' then sat forgotten on my computer through two moves and a hard drive crash and system rebuild. I just recently pulled it off my back-up drive, dusted it off, and had another look at it. By now, of course, it seems hopelessly outdated - LiLo and SRon are old news; HayPen finally got to make out with a girl on **_**Heroes**_**, though it was Madeline Zima and not KBell (then the show got cancelled); and now the media are talking about Lindsay for all the wrong reasons, whilst Hayden tours the world, attached to the arm of her ultra-macho boxer boyfriend, and Kristen's ambiguous character Electric Elle lies a burnt and forgotten corpse on a nameless beach somewhere. At least we still have Hannah and Lola... I briefly contemplated rewriting 'Lola Likes Girls' to update it and make it more contemporary, but I think doing so would have fundamentally changed the story, and caused it to lose the feel of Hannah and Lola moving through the current (at the time) social circles of trendy Young Hollywood (which is something the show has always portrayed). Consider it, then, a snapshot of its times. Set in the first half of season 3, before all the Loliver badwrongness. Apologies for the long author's note. Without further ado, onto the Liley yummygoodness.**

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><p><strong>1. Lola.<strong>

Lola Luftnagle had a plan. A very special plan. A plan to misbehave. The plan involved her misbehaving with a certain, very special blonde pop-star, at a very special and exclusive private Hollywood party that very night. And Lola had realized something. Lilly Truscott was way too prudish to ever misbehave in the way Lola wanted to. But Lola could get away with it. Lola could do things that Lilly never could. 'Cos Lola had a reputation for being a little naughty sometimes (or at least, that's what Lilly thought). So Lilly would be safely tucked away in a metaphorical box somewhere in the back of Lola's mind, and this would be Lola's night. She would do things Lola's way. Because, although Lilly Truscott might worry about consequences, Lola Luftnagle had decided not to. Life was too short, and her blonde pop-star friend too special to her, to let this opportunity pass by.

Lola checked her make-up one more time in the mirror. She had gone with the flame-red wig (since she was in a devilish mood), and was punked out in one of her most daring outfits yet - an ultra-short red plaid skirt that didn't quite cover the elastic tops of her thigh-high fishnets, a ripped and cut-off white tee, hanging low off one shoulder, over a short, tight, black cami top with underwire that did great things for her cleavage and left a tantalizing strip of toned stomach bare. The effect was complemented by the usual colorful jewelry, a single black glove on her left hand, and a pair of cherry-red Converse. She hunted out and unwrapped a lollypop from the stash in her fluffy, faux-furred handbag, and popped it in her mouth. Lilly avoided eating too much sugar, since sugar-rushes had a tendency to make her hyperactive and impulsive; Lola, on the other hand, was already impulsive, desired to be hyperactive, and welcomed the sugar-rush. Sucking on her lollypop, she grabbed her bag and studded leather rock star jacket, and turned to watch her very own blonde-wigged celebrity friend Hannah Montana putting the finishing touches to her jewelry selection. Hannah wore a short, slinky, shiny gold dress over a pair of leggings, a chunky sequined belt, and her requisite high-heeled boots. The ensemble was completed with a short, 80's style jacket and a glittery clutch bag.

_God, it's like those tights are painted on!_ Lola thought to herself, as she openly stared in admiration at the way the spandex clung to her friend's long and shapely legs as she moved. Miley - now totally transformed into Hannah - swaggered over to the full-length mirror, striking various poses for the final wardrobe-check. Lilly would have blushed at some of the thoughts running through Lola's mind, but Lola was not the blushing type. And since Lola was in charge at the moment, she was quite happy to enjoy the view.

Satisfied, Hannah finally turned to Lola and smiled.

"Ready to go?"

"Definitely!" replied Lola.

Hannah grabbed her clutch from the dresser, and linked her arm through the other girl's. Together they headed downstairs to the waiting limo.


	2. Chapter 2

**2. Hannah.**

Hannah and Lola sat beside each other in the back of the limo, watching the bright lights of L.A. get closer and more distinct as they neared their destination.

"I've been looking forward to this party all week!" gushed Lilly/Lola. "It's going to be great!" Lilly/Lola loved celebrity parties - the chance to meet people she idolized, to be seen in public with Hannah Montana, and to be _noticed_. Not to mention, the opportunity to share such a fun time with Miley/Hannah.

"Hey, look what I came across today." Lilly/Lola flicked on the overhead light in the limo and pulled a rolled-up tabloid magazine out of her bag. Lilly had always been interested in the tabloids, even before she found out about Miley/Hannah and started attending Hollywood parties as Lola; she loved reading the latest gossip about her favorite celebrities, including Hannah Montana.

Lola flicked through the magazine until she found the page she wanted. "'Bisexual Chic Takes Over Hollywood,'" she read the title of the article out loud. "It's about Hollywood celebrities who either claim to be or are suspected of being gay or bisexual. 'An increasing number of prominent female celebrities seem to be pursuing sexual encounters with members of their own sex. But is it real or just a publicity stunt?'" Lilly/Lola quoted. "The article goes on to talk about the history of 'bisexual chic,' and various celebs who have talked publicly about having girl-on-girl experiences - such as Drew Barrymore, Madonna, Paris Hilton, Katy Perry, Hayden Panettiere... Hey, isn't she supposed to be at the party tonight?"

"Yeah... so I heard," Answered Miley/Hannah, not sure where her friend was going with this.

"Huh," Lilly/Lola responded noncommittally before going on. "Well, then the article speculates about other celebs who might be gay or bi. There's quite a bit about Lindsay and Samantha, and of course Ellen Page. And then..." Hannah rolled her eyes as Lola paused dramatically for effect. She could almost hear the drum-roll Lola was playing in her own head.

"..._We_ get a mention!" concluded Lola.

" Whaaat?" If Lilly didn't have Miley's attention before, she did now. Hannah snatched the magazine from the other girl and looked at the page. Sure enough, there were several paragraphs devoted to Hannah Montana and her 'constant close companion' Lola Luftnagle, querying the exact nature of their relationship. The article came complete with a selection of candid photographs, taken at various events and outings, showing the two girls in some of their closer moments - whether it be holding hands or linking arms, or giving each other a friendly hug, or even just looking into each other's eyes as they were engaged in one of their earnest conversations - all quite innocent at the time, but taken out of context like this they looked rather... suggestive.

Miley quickly read through the article, and then read it again more slowly after she had gotten over her initial surprise. The writer had cleverly avoided making any definitive statements that could be considered defamatory, instead using carefully-worded questions and innuendoes to imply that Hannah and Lola were more than 'just friends.'

"Well..." mused Miley. "I suppose it's not that bad. I mean... they don't really say it outright, even though they make it look pretty suggestive."

"You don't think it'll hurt Hannah's career?"

"I think most of my fans are smart enough not to be fooled by tabloids. I also think that my true fans are more interested in my music and my message, rather than my sexual orientation."

"Are you gonna tell your dad about the magazine article?"

Miley pondered for a few seconds before answering. "I don't think so. At least, there's no reason to unless it becomes a problem. Actually, I'm a little worried that if I do he might decide it's better if we stop going out together publicly, and I'd miss you too much if that happened. I'm prepared to dodge the occasional lesbian rumor if it means we can keep hanging out together."

"You know..." Lola's face broke out into a devilish grin to match her devilish red wig. "According to that magazine, a little bit of speculation about Hannah's sexuality may not necessarily be a bad thing. Those other women seem to be benefiting from the extra hype."

Hannah rolled her eyes. "I'm not gonna use something like this to help sell records, Lilly."

"Lola," Lola quickly corrected.

"Lola. Whatever. The point is, I want people to listen to my music because they like it, not because they like the fact that I might like girls."

"So it's an integrity issue? You don't object to liking girls on general principle?"

"Umm... I guess." It wasn't something Miley had ever really thought about before, but she didn't see anything morally wrong with two girls being romantically involved. "As long as both people are happy, I suppose it doesn't matter if it's a guy or a girl you're in love with."

Both of them lapsed into temporary silence. They were now well into the city proper and the limo was becoming bogged down in the Saturday night party-going traffic. Miley switched off the overhead light so she could get a better view of the night-time cityscape and its inhabitants outside the tinted windows. Neon signs, streetlights and headlamps all took turns to shine fingers of light into the darkened interior, painting playfully shifting patterns across the upholstery and the two passengers inside. The only sound was the distant muffled hum of the car's engine, until Lilly's voice broke the silence.

"I've decided... Lola likes girls."

"LOLA SAY WHAT?" Miley exclaimed.

"Yeah... Lola's into girls. I mean, why not? She doesn't really have fans or a career to worry about, so there's really no drawbacks. And Lola's always been very trendy, and bisexual chic is also trendy, so it kinda makes sense."

"And you just, what, decided this right now?"

"Yep!"

Miley frowned. "Lilly, you're acting really weird today," She said. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Not Lilly! Lola! It's Lola who's into girls! And I don't just mean a little bit. I'm talking big-time with the girl-love!"

"But Lola's always chased after every male celebrity she's met!"

"She still likes guys, too!" Lilly explained. "But she also likes girls!" She put on a dreamy voice. "And until such time as Orlando realizes his undying love for Ms. Luftnagle and proposes, she is quite happy to chase after female celebrities too!" She looked at Miley/Hannah and frowned. "I _thought_ you said you didn't have a problem with people being bi!"

"I don't! It's just... sudden... is all. Look, if you want to make Lola bi, then... go ahead. No biggy, right?"

"Right. No biggy." Lilly paused for a second before continuing in a rush. "Are you sure you don't want to make Hannah bi too, 'cos we could do, like, this cool role-play where Lola's been secretly crushing on her for ages, and then they get together after seeing this article in a magazine, and we could become like famous gay icons overnight..."

"NO!" Cried Miley in exasperation. "I already said I don't want to use something like that just for popularity!"

"Fine. It was just an idea..." Lilly replied sulkily. Miley crankily went back to staring out the window, then about a minute later started to feel bad about snapping at her best friend.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," She mumbled.

"That's okay. You're right. We shouldn't do something like that just to gain popularity." Lola sighed theatrically. "But... if Hannah won't be Lola's celebrity crush, then she's just going to have to find someone else... You know... Hayden _is_ looking very hot lately. Maybe she'll be the one who I set my sights on. I wonder if she's still into having girl-on-girl experiences... Maybe I'll find out tonight!" Lola gave a naughty little smile, then crossed her hands in front of her heart and said dramatically: "Oh Hayden! You can be my Hero any time!"

Miley couldn't help but chuckle at the other girl's antics, although she wasn't sure how she felt about the idea of Lola suddenly deciding she wanted to pursue other women. Although she couldn't really find a reason to object on moral grounds, it certainly would cause a few raised eyebrows, and fuel rumors for the tabloids to write about. But she didn't think it would cause any major problems, and if Lilly wanted to have a bit of fun role-playing a bisexual character, shouldn't Miley just let her go ahead, and put it down to Lilly's usual wackiness?

The pop-star's musings were cut short by their limousine arriving at the party. Although the party was at a private mansion, and security had been hired to keep away anyone not invited, the paparazzi had of course found out, and were staking out the sidewalk just outside. As their car pulled up out front and the security escort walked over to meet them, Hannah and Lola gathered their stuff and got ready to run the familiar gauntlet of flash-photography and video-camera spotlights yet again.


	3. Chapter 3

**3. Traci.**

"So I said to her: answer _that_ and stay fashionable!" Traci Van Horn broke out into loud giggles. The professional partygoer and (self-proclaimed) Hollywood VIP had always considered herself to have excellent conversational skills and a witty sense of humor. But judging from the expression on the face of the blonde girl sitting next to her, this was not an opinion shared by Hannah Montana. They were reclining elegantly on a couch in a softly-lit corner of the outside yard, where the party was being held. Traci, complete with her favorite fashion accessory - lap-cat Madonna - had met Hannah and the 'Other One' shortly after they had arrived, and all three had done the introductory rounds together, as was befitting (not to mention beneficial to all involved). After the 'finger-food phase' of the evening, the girls had retreated to a relatively quiet corner to relax and enjoy drinks - sodas for Hannah and the 'Other One,' while Traci sipped on an exotic cocktail that she had forgotten the name of, but which the hunky barman working the fully catered bar had assured her was all the vogue in Monte Carlo at the moment. Traci had regaled Hannah with stories of all the latest celebrity fashion disasters, while the 'Other One' played with Madonna. Traci made a note to herself to book the cat in for a bath and delousing at the pet beauty-parlor, and check with the vet that she was up-to-date with her vaccinations.

After a good start, the night had taken a turn for the awkward after the 'Other One' had gone to the bar to get a refill, and had run into - thankfully not literally - Hayden Panettiere. The two of them had started talking, and had been talking for the last hour, which was about the same amount of time that Hannah had been spacing out.

"You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?" asked Traci.

"Uh-huh," grunted Hannah, never taking her eyes off Lola and the beautiful blonde celebrity deep in conversation on the other side of the garden. The two girls were sitting close together on tall stools next to the bar, relaxed and smiling at each other, both sucking on lollypops from Lola's candy stash. They hadn't stopped talking since their conversation had started, except to order drinks. As Hannah watched, Hayden said something that caused Lola to laugh, and Lola reached out and grabbed the actress's hand as it rested on top of the bar. Lola made a reply, and Hayden nodded and laughed as well. Hannah noticed that neither girl made an attempt to pull their hands away.

"What's got you so down, Hannah darling? Come _on!_ We're at a private, A-list celebrity party in a _very_ expensive mansion. There's a fully catered bar, and _nobody_ is checking ID's. Hannah should be getting her _paartayy_ on, not sitting here brooding!"

"What's so good about her anyway?" Hannah suddenly burst out. "Why should she be the celebrity crush? I honestly don't know what Lola sees in her! So what if she has a starring role on a top-rating award-winning TV show... and an up-and-coming movie career... and can sing as well... and is funny, and looks totally gorgeous..." Hannah trailed off. "But I mean, I've sold _way_ more records than her... and... and so what if she's saved a few whales and done charity work? I'm charitable too! Hello... United Peoples' Relief Fund? And I bet I have way more fans..." Hannah stopped her tirade when she saw the odd look Traci was giving her. "Did that just sound as petty and jealous as I think it did?" the pop-star sighed.

"Perhaps just a little," Traci replied drily. The socialite held up Madonna and stared into her pet's feline face. "Oh Madonna! Whatever shall we do? She's worse than I thought!" Settling the cat back onto her lap, Traci turned to Hannah again. "Look, Hannah darling, it's okay! You don't need to pretend around _me_. I read the article in the tabloids today. To tell you the truth, I wasn't really surprised, although I had hoped you might go for a somewhat... _classier_ woman than that... emo-punk-grunge-lolita-I-don't-even-know-what-type of fashion-disaster celebrity-wannabe. You know I have... 'Lola issues.'" Traci said the name like it left a bad taste in her mouth. "But I remember what you said to me when she first started clinging to you at these outings: she may be a dork, but she's _your_ dork. If it's got you worried, just make it official that you and... Lola," She managed to say it without wincing as much this time, "...are an item. That way you won't have to worry about invincible blonde whale-saving cheerleaders flirting with your girlfriend."

"Lilly..." Hannah quickly corrected herself. "I mean, Lola and I aren't... like that. We're just friends! That article didn't prove anything!" Hannah protested.

"Of course, darling. Your secret's safe with me." Traci made a zipping motion with her fingers against her lips. "Madonna, however, is a terrible gossip, so I can't make any guarantees the whole party won't know by the end of the night. Now, as much as I love you Hannah dear, you are starting to bring down Madonna's partying mood, so she and I are going to go talk to Lindsay and Samantha." Trace stood up, and then leaned in to secretively talk to her friend. "I promise I will get to the bottom of what's going on with those two, and then Madonna will tell you _everything_." And with that, Traci Van Horn went off to chase the next celebrity scandal, leaving a somewhat confused Hannah to muse over why exactly she was upset that Lola was paying so much attention to her latest - female - celebrity crush.


	4. Chapter 4

**4. Lilly.**

"We need to talk!" Hannah slid into the recently-vacated stool next to Lilly, sounding as angry as Lilly had ever heard her. Lilly was somewhat taken aback by her friend's sudden appearance; a moment ago she had been happily talking to Hayden Panettiere, then Traci had come running up, carrying on about how she'd just got a text message saying Kristen Bell had turned up out the front, looking 'majorly pissed - awkward!' Next thing she knew, Hayden had hastily excused herself and Hannah had taken her place.

"What's up Lils? Date walk out on ya?" Hannah asked, quickly and surreptitiously slipping her phone back into her purse.

"It's Lola. And I think she went to meet Kristen." Lilly looked puzzled for a second. She discarded the stem of her lollypop in a convenient ashtray. "I thought Kristen wasn't coming tonight."

"Gee... funny that. Musta got a phone call that changed her mind. Maybe one that said Hayden needed to see her _real_ urgently." Hannah sounded smug. Then she noticed a couple of empty cocktail glasses sitting in front of Lilly. "Have you been drinking?"

Lola put on a proud smile. "Yep! They're called screaming orgasms! And I owe my first one to Hayden! I could get you one too, if you wanted..." Lola/Lilly trailed off suggestively. Miley just gave her a Look.

Lilly's face fell. "Fine!" She turned to the barkeeper. "Another orgasm for me, and a straight Jack Daniels..." she turned her glare back on Hannah. "...For my _straight_ Tennessee friend over here." Miley continued to give her a Look, as the barkeeper plunked their drinks down in front of them. Lola stared back at her friend, challenging her to pick up the glass of whiskey and drink.

"If you're gonna take Hayden's place, you better provide me with just as much fun as she was."

"It's not like I've never had alcohol before!" Miley snatched up her glass. "Me and Jackson have been sneaking sips of Uncle Earl's moonshine since we were kids!"

"It'll be the first time _we've_ had a drink together." Lola picked up her own glass and clinked it against Hannah's before taking a sip. "Maybe it'll be a night for firsts..." Miley stared at her for a few more seconds, before downing the bourbon in one long gulp.

Lilly's slightly tipsy brain registered something that Miley had said before. "Wait! How do you know Kristen Bell got a phone call asking her to come here..." Lilly gasped theatrically, her mind flashing back to the image of Hannah putting her phone away just before she sat down. "You didn't?" Miley looked away and didn't answer. "You totally did! Why would you do that?" Lilly's outburst drew the attention of the bartender and a few of the party guests, who looked around in her direction. In a quieter voice she said: "I think Hayden was about to kiss me!"

"It's _because_ she was about to kiss you that I did it! Lilly, what do you think you're doing?" Miley's voice was getting louder, and the girls were drawing attention again.

"Sshh! In public, it's Lola, remember?" Lilly started looking around frantically to make sure her cover hadn't been blown. Miley grabbed her arm and led her back over to the couch that she and Traci had been on earlier. It was still vacant, and situated in a dark corner. It offered more privacy than the vicinity of the bar.

"You two looked like you were about to start making out right then and there!" Miley said angrily.

"Yeah! I know! Isn't it cool?" Lilly gushed, a big silly grin on her face. "We were talking about going back to her place after the party. She even offered to dress up in her cheerleader outfit for me!"

"_Lilly!_"

"I told you, _it's Lola!_"

"Lola... Lilly... Whatever! Aargh! Will you stop that?" cried Miley in frustration. "You're giving me a headache!" Miley closed her eyes and started massaging her temples. Two waitresses, one carrying a tray of hors d'oeuvres and the other a tray full of glasses of champagne, came over to the two girls as they went about their rounds. Lola helped herself to a large handful of snacks, as well as a glass of champagne, causing Hannah to roll her eyes. Just as the waitresses were about to leave, Hannah shrugged and snagged a glass of champagne as well, which she then downed in one go, placing the empty glass off to one side. When she spoke again it was in a calmer voice. "Please, I just want to talk to _Lilly_ for the next few minutes." Lilly crossed her arms and sighed.

"Fine."

Miley took a deep breath before going on. "Lilly, how far do you intend to go with this?"

"What do you mean?" Asked Lilly, all innocence as she sipped her champagne and popped sweet nibblets in her mouth one after the other.

"I mean, you've gone from simply deciding that Lola likes girls this evening, to now talking about going home with a woman you've only just met, all in the space of a couple hours. You know where that can lead! Doesn't this all seem a little... I don't know... odd? Rushed maybe?"

"I don't think so," replied Lilly. "I really like Hayden, and we're getting along great. Seems kinda... natural, I guess."

"So what, you're going to start... dating her now? _Sleeping_ with her?"

"So what if I do?"

"Lilly! How can you be so casual? Something like this is a big deal! It's one thing to invent a fictional alter-ego who likes girls, but if you actually start dating or... sleeping with them, then... it all of a sudden becomes real."

"Does it?" Lilly asked angrily. "As far as the other person's concerned, I'm still Lola even when I'm in bed with them!"

"But it's Lilly's body!" Miley was getting angry as well.

"I thought you said you didn't have a problem with me liking girls!" said Lilly.

"Are we talking about Lilly or Lola here?" asked Miley, somewhat confused.

"Does it matter?" replied Lilly in exasperation. "I have a real chance to have a true romantic encounter with a dream celebrity, just like we always talked about and hoped for. When it was Orlando Bloom I was chasing, you never tried to stop me! Why are you so determined to wreck this for me? What exactly do you have a problem with, Miley?"

"I just think it's a bad idea to be getting intimate with someone who doesn't even know the real you! Isn't not telling them your real identity just like lying to them, or dating them under false pretenses, or something? How is that okay?"

"Oh that's great, coming from you! Haven't _you_ gone out on dates as Hannah? With people who didn't know you were Miley?"

"Well, yeah... but..." Miley tried to protest, but Lilly talked over the top of her.

"And some of those dates you wanted to kiss, right?"

"Yeah... but Roxy always stopped me."

"But if Roxy wasn't there, you would have kissed them, right?" Lilly was relentless.

"I guess..."

"And maybe even done more, if you really liked them?"

"I... I don't know." Miley's protests were rapidly running out of steam. "I guess I always thought that if it got that far, I'd tell the person who I really was."

"But by that time you would've spent weeks or months lying to them. Isn't that 'dating under false pretenses?' And nobody wants to date a liar, so they'd probably dump you when you told them. But it's not like we can tell them straight away, because that would risk our normal identities." Lilly stopped her rant and sighed. "You know, I'm beginning to think we'd be better off just being Hannah and Lola all the time."

Miley rolled her eyes. "Trust me, you do _not_ want that! Been there, tried that, hated it." Lilly had no idea what Miley was talking about, and just gave her a blank look. "I'll tell you about it some other time," said Miley. "Look..." Miley tried to get back to the topic at hand. "I happen to like Lilly way better than Lola. She's my closest friend, the most fun person I know, and someone I really care about."

"Yeah, but she doesn't have the opportunities Lola does. Lilly would never have the chance to pursue a romance with a celebrity."

"Look, just because you _can_ do something, doesn't mean that you _should_. I admit you were right: I hadn't thought through the whole dating-as-Hannah thing. But now that I have, I feel _really_ uncomfortable with what you're talking about doing. Dating, or sleeping with, someone who doesn't know who you really are... I don't understand why you're _not_ uncomfortable with it."

"Yeah, well... the only person here who knows my real identity is you, and you've already made it clear you don't want Hannah dating Lola. So... since it looks like the closest I'll ever come to living out my dreams of a celebrity romance is a shallow one-night-stand with an actress, I'll take what I can get. I'm gonna go find Hayden."

Lilly set aside her champagne glass and got up to leave, but Miley grabbed on to her wrist.

"Lils, wait." Miley stood up too, then took both of Lilly's hands in her own. Looking straight into the other girl's eyes, she said: "Lilly. As someone who cares about you a lot, and thinks you're about to make a big mistake, is there _anything_ I can do to make you rethink this?"

Lilly looked steadily back into her friend's eyes, and said in a soft voice, "I don't know Miley. You tell me... Is there anything you can do to make me rethink this?"

Miley stared at the other girl blankly. Lilly just kept gazing back deeply into the blue orbs of Miley's eyes, willing her to understand what she was doing and why, and watching the various emotions play out there - puzzlement mixed with concern, followed by realization, and then mild resignation.

"Fine. If you're so determined to have a female celebrity crush, then... it should be me. Because I already know both sides of you. I've decided Hannah likes girls as well. And her crush is Lola. So... you should just stay away from other women, because Hannah's the jealous, possessive type."

Lilly smiled up at Miley. "You mean it?" Miley nodded and smiled back.

"And you're sure it won't hurt your career?" Lilly asked.

"I doubt it. You read the article - bisexual chic is in. We can even hold hands in public and tell everyone we're girlfriends - actually, I think Trace may already have taken care of that for us." Miley looked over to where Traci was animatedly talking at the center of a throng of party guests, occasionally pointing in the general direction of the two girls. Catching the pop-star's eye, Traci smiled and waved, and Miley/Hannah returned a small grimace and an unenthusiastic wave, before turning back to Lilly. "But let's make a promise to each other. The only people Hannah and Lola go home with are each other, okay? I think that's better for everyone"

"Of course. We'll be 100% faithful and monogamous," replied Lilly, before grinning slyly. "Now to make it official."

"What?" asked Miley with a puzzled frown.

Lilly coaxed Miley to sit back down on the couch, and then quickly settled herself across the taller girl's lap. Miley seemed a little surprised at first, but quickly became comfortable with it, wrapping her arms around Lilly and pulling her close. Lilly returned the embrace, placing her arms around Miley's neck. The two of them had always been affectionate with each other, so Lilly knew this part wouldn't be a problem. The next part she had planned, however...

Lilly leaned her face in towards her friend's, watching closely the emotions evident in her deep blue eyes. When Miley didn't pull back or seem frightened, Lilly said softly, "Try to make it look convincing..."

"Try to make what..."

At that moment, Lilly swiftly closed the last bit of distance between them and captured Miley's parted lips in a soft but passionate kiss, one that tasted of cherry lip-gloss and sugary candy, and expressed all of Lilly's previously-repressed feelings of love and desire towards her best friend. Miley froze in shock for an instant, but then began to instinctively return the kiss. Encouraged, Lilly deepened the kiss, drawing it out until both girls were short of breath. Finally pulling back, she looked again into MIley's sapphire orbs, watching for any hint that she was uncomfortable or unhappy about what was happening. She saw surprise, confusion, even desire, but no revulsion or anger.

"Lils..." Miley began in a shaky voice. Lilly put a finger to the other girls lips.

"Sshh... Don't try to analyze or think about it too much. Leave that to Miley and Lilly. Tonight we can just be Hannah and Lola. _They_ can get away with being impulsive, without worrying about consequences. _They_ live in the now. Just concentrate on how it feels, and go with it." With that, Lilly swooped in for another kiss, and Miley returned this one at once, and with equal enthusiasm.


	5. Chapter 5

**5. Miley.**

Miley's face was still flushed, and her lips still tingled from the memory of Lilly's kisses, as she climbed back into the limousine for their journey home. The pop-star had followed her friend's advice, and tried not to think about things too much, instead allowing herself to get caught up in the moment, concentrating on the feel of the other girl's lips on her own, the warm comfortable weight on her lap, and the intense closeness she felt whenever they looked into each other's eyes between kisses. Before they had even realized, they'd been making out for forty-five minutes, and Miley's phone was going off with a message from the limo driver saying that it was time to leave. They quickly did the round of good-byes, Miley blushing furiously the whole time, unable to look anybody in the eye, convinced that everyone there had been watching what she was getting up to with Lilly. No one said anything or seemed to mind about it though, and Miley took that as proof that bisexual chic really was in.

The last person to say good-bye was Traci. "I'd just like to say: good for you, Hannah," she commented. "Lindsay and Samantha were very inspired. They said to look for an announcement over the coming days. Anyway, tata!"

Now it was back to just the two of them in the limo, and Miley wasn't sure what to make of the night. She and Lilly were still holding hands, and Lilly was resting her head on Miley's shoulder, but that wasn't so unusual for them. Lilly didn't seem to be making any more attempts at kissing her, and Miley didn't know whether she was relieved or disappointed. Had Lilly only been doing it in front of an audience, as some kind of show? Maybe it really was only some kind of experiment; a Hannah-Lola thing that didn't reflect on their real lives as Miley and Lilly. That's what Lilly had originally claimed, although Miley hadn't believed her. And after that forty-five minute make-out session, it was even harder to believe Lilly was only playing. Or was she just trying to make it 'convincing?' As confusing as these questions were, Miley was more troubled by her own actions. Had _she_ been playing? Had it been Hannah or Miley passionately returning her friend's kisses? Miley had certainly never imagined making-out with her best friend, or with any girl, but she couldn't deny the fact that, once she had abandoned her inhibitions, as Lilly had instructed, she had actually enjoyed it. Quite a bit, in fact.

With thoughts like these whirling through her mind, Miley was unable to make conversation on the way home, and Lilly didn't seem inclined to talk either. The trip home was much quicker at this time of the night, and the two girls soon found themselves outside Miley's house. All the lights were off, except for the one on the patio, so Miley knew her father and brother must be asleep.

Miley let herself and Lilly into the house, then closed and locked the door behind them and turned off the outside light. Taking Lilly's hand, Miley guided her across the darkened living-room, and then slowly and cautiously up the stairs, not quite sure what would happen once they got to her bedroom. Would Lilly want to talk about what had happened between them? Miley herself wasn't even sure if she could properly articulate all the feelings and thoughts that were chaotically bouncing and whirling through her mind at the moment. _Should_ they talk about it, even if it was uncomfortable? Ignore it and pretend it never happened? Put off dealing with it until later and do something else instead? Miley blushed when it occurred to her what kind of 'something else' people sometimes did in their bedrooms late at night. _So NOT where I wanted that train of thought to lead!_

Arriving at her bedroom, Miley flicked on the light and entered, moving towards her bed and dumping her bag on the floor at its foot. She heard Lilly gently close the door behind them, then a soft thud as the other girl dropped her own bag onto the wooden floor. Miley kept her back turned, idly staring at the patterned coverlet on her bed, delaying the inevitable for as long as possible. Lilly stood silently just inside the door, probably waiting for her to say something. Miley was conscious of Lilly watching her, but couldn't for the life of her think what to say. Hearing Lilly take a few tentative steps towards her, Miley steeled herself and finally turned to face the other girl, hoping that her friend had figured out where to start better than she had.

What she hadn't expected were Lilly's soft lips upon her own, passionately kissing her, the shorter girl standing on tippy-toes and leaning into her, one hand firmly holding Miley's shoulder, the other hand tangled in faux-blonde locks and keeping her mouth exactly where Lilly wanted it. The kiss was hungry, demanding, and full of desire. Heat began to course through Miley's body as her senses were overwhelmed by the feel of Lilly's lips gliding over her own, the weight of Lilly's soft curves pressing close against the front of her body, the scent of Lilly's perfume in her nostrils. Miley responded to the heated kisses almost without thinking, her body ready and eager to pick up exactly where the two of them had left off earlier in the night, even if her mind hadn't quite caught up yet. Miley's arms came up to encircle Lilly's back, pulling the girl even closer to her. When Lilly nibbled on her lower lip, Miley couldn't help but let out a small moan, and the other girl's tongue darted into her mouth to meet with her own.

As they broke apart for air, Lilly pushed forward slightly, and when Miley took a step back, the backs of her knees hit the bed, and she was suddenly falling backwards. She put her hands out to catch herself, and ended up half-sitting, half-laying on her bed, with Lilly straddling her lap, short skirt riding up to reveal her black lacy panties. Their mouths met again, as they continued their passionate kisses, Miley running her hands up and down Lilly's back under her shirt, feeling that Lilly's skin was as hot and flushed as her own. The small part of Miley's brain that was still working coherently kept wondering why they were doing this, since there was no longer an audience to prove anything to, like there had been at the party. Miley ignored that part of her brain, a task that was made easier when Lilly began planting light little kisses along her jaw line and neck. She did however notice that, perched on the edge of the bed as they were, Lilly was in danger of falling off, which would bring an end to the kisses, which was unacceptable at that particular moment. Miley scooted back further into the middle of the bed, bringing the smaller girl with her, and then let herself fall backwards so that Lilly was laying on top of her. As Lilly repositioned herself more comfortably, one of her thighs inadvertently rubbed hard against the crotch of Miley's leggings. Miley moaned loudly as a jolt of pleasure shot through her. Lilly paused for a second, then repeated the movement, eliciting the same reaction from her friend a second time. Lilly began steadily thrusting against Miley, pressing her leg hard against the other girl's center, while continuing to feather her lips, face and neck with kisses. Miley's breathing was becoming ragged, her moans increasing in volume. Wanting Lilly to feel the same sensations as herself, Miley lifted one of her knees, positioning it so that the other girl straddled her leg. Getting the idea, Lilly shifted slightly so that she was grinding her crotch against Miley's spandex-clad thigh with every thrust, and in no time at all she was adding her own whimpers to Miley's noises of pleasure. Miley could clearly feel the heat from Lilly's center through the thin fabric of her leggings, and it sent an intense thrill of arousal through her. Miley's hips began bucking upwards in time with Lilly's thrusts, and she grabbed Lilly's hips with both hands, squeezing her buttocks and urging her to go faster. Lilly happily obliged, as both girls moved towards their release. Breaking off a particularly deep kiss, Lilly suddenly buried her head in the crook of Miley's neck, biting down and sucking hard on the flesh there, and sending her plummeting over the edge with a loud cry. As Miley's orgasm washed over her, Lilly gave a couple more frantic thrusts against her, and then began shuddering with her own release.

After the spasms of pleasure subsided, the girls lay still for many minutes in a sweaty tangle of limbs and crooked wigs and disheveled clothing, listening to their hearts hammering in tandem. Neither one spoke. As their breathing began to return to normal, Miley tried to make sense of what had just happened, and how. First there had been the kissing... then the bed had somehow got involved... and then there was the groping, and then the leg, and then...

"Whoa..." Miley marveled softly. "Did we just..."

Lilly lifted her head up from where it still nestled in the crook of Miley's neck. "Yeah," she answered. "We did."

"Whoa," said Miley again, before lapsing back into silence. Lilly was looking inquiringly down at her face, but Miley stared doggedly up at the ceiling above, refusing to meet her gaze, afraid of what she might see in Lilly's eyes. Miley's hands rested on the small of Lilly's back, and so far her friend hadn't made an effort to pull away or escape. She thought that, at least, was a good sign.

Lilly was still staring at her. "Miley, please say something. Other than 'whoa,'" Lilly said in a small voice. When she heard her friend's pleading tone, Miley's eyes snapped across to finally meet Lilly's, seeing love, concern, confusion, and fear there, mixed in with the beginnings of remorse. Miley wondered if the same emotions were mirrored in her eyes.

"Did I go too far?" Lilly seemed genuinely concerned.

"Lilly, if you went too far, then so did I," Miley replied. "I know you would've stopped if I'd asked you too. In case you didn't notice, I wasn't exactly fighting you off!"

Much to Miley's relief, Lilly smiled. "Yeah... I noticed. That's what encouraged me to keep going. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Miley shook her head, returning the smile, then frowned. "Did I go too far? Hurt you?" asked Miley in turn.

"No." Lilly shook her head, then chuckled. "If it turns out you bruised my butt, I'll carry the marks with pride!"

It was Miley's turn to chuckle. "You got me too, you know." She indicated the red mark that was already appearing on her neck.

Lilly rolled off of Miley to one side, then sat up. Miley sat up as well.

Looking shyly sideways at her friend, Lilly asked: "Do you regret it?"

Miley looked down at her hands in her lap. "I don't know yet," she answered truthfully. "It changes things... It changes us. It changes... me. Changes everything!"

"But does it though? Does it really? I mean have we suddenly stopped caring about each other?"

"Of course not!" Miley was quick to reassure. "But people who are 'just friends' don't do what we just did! At least, I didn't think so until tonight... I'm so confused right now."

"Do you want me to leave?" asked Lilly tentatively.

"You don't have to. I mean, if you feel like you need some space, I'll understand if you wanna go home... otherwise, please stay. Actually... I don't really want to have to deal with this by myself at the moment."

"Me neither," admitted Lilly, before adding in a shy voice: "Is it okay if we hug for a while?"

Miley straightaway threw her arms round her friend's shoulders, resting her head on her shoulder and hugging her tightly. Lilly returned the hug wholeheartedly. Both girls were comfortable with just sitting like that for a while.

_Lilly's right. I guess things haven't really changed that much between us. We can still be here for each other._ Miley couldn't imagine ever _not_ being friends with Lilly, _not_ wanting to spend time with her or talk to her or have her in her life. But as what? Best friend? _Girlfriend?_ Is that how it could be? Is that what she even wanted? Had tonight shown them the full possibilities of their relationship, or had it just been a monumental mistake which they could never take back and would end up regretting?

Almost as if she'd read her mind, Lilly spoke up.

"You know, there's a way we can make it so that it doesn't change things."

"What do you mean?" asked Miley curiously.

"Well, we can always just say that it was Lola and Hannah who made love tonight. They're different people to Lilly and Miley, aren't they? Well... at least that's the case as far as the rest of the world is concerned, and for us too, if we want. Lola and Hannah only exist for Hollywood gigs. They don't have to worry about consequences. _They_ can get away with stuff that Lilly and Miley couldn't. Although Lola and Hannah have made it pretty clear how they feel about each other, Lilly and Miley might decide they don't feel the same way, or that they don't want to change, or that they're not ready to deal with the consequences. They can just stay friends, if that's what they're happy with." Lilly turned her head to look Miley straight in the eyes as she continued. "So let's make a deal. You go into the Hannah-wardrobe and change back to Miley, and I'll stay out here and change back to Lilly. Take as long as you want. And when Miley comes out, she can decide if she wants Lilly as just a friend, or as something more. I know Lilly pretty well, and I'm sure she'll be happy either way. And if Lilly and Miley do decide to stay just friends, they don't even have to mention Lola and Hannah's night of passion ever again... After all, it happened to someone else, right? But if Miley does want more, then Lilly will love her for ever and ever, and try her best to never hurt her and always treat her right, 'cos that's how precious Miley is to her."

Miley was stunned - with the beautiful simplicity and effectiveness of the idea, with Lilly's heartfelt profession of love at the end, and with the earnest care and adoration she saw in those beautiful blue eyes.

When Miley managed to find her voice, she said, "Hannah just wants Lola to know that no matter what else happens, she had a wonderful night tonight. Thank you." Leaning forward, Hannah placed a gentle kiss on Lola's lips, not demanding, but not rushed either.

As Miley got up and headed towards her Hannah-wardrobe, neither girl knew if that kiss would be their last.


	6. Chapter 6

**6. Miley and Lilly.**

Miley looked in the mirror of her dressing-table and sighed. She had removed the last of her make-up, and she was dressed in her most comfortable pajamas. Freed from the confines of Hannah's blonde wig, her chestnut curls hung lose around her shoulders, almost managing to hide the hickey on her neck. Now that the lipstick was gone, Miley could see that her lips looked swollen and tender, a reminder of the fierce kisses she had earlier shared with her friend. She had taken her time getting changed, making sure to return all the parts of her outfit to their usual dwelling places. But now she was running out of excuses to stay in the closet, so to speak. And she had no idea what she was going to say to Lilly when she went out there.

_People who are 'just friends' don't do what we just did._ That's what she'd told Lilly earlier. And Miley still believed that. Did that mean that she felt more than friendship for Lilly? Or had they just made some bad decisions and ended up in some weird messed-up place that they shouldn't have? Had they just got carried away with the moment and engaged in random meaningless sex? Miley had never imagined she would do something like that. Was that the type of person she was now? Was that the type of person _Lilly_ was?

_No way! Lilly told me how much she loved me at the end... Lilly loves me! Do I love her?_ Miley sighed again. Even if she did love Lilly, the other girl was right. There would be consequences. It might get complicated. They had such a good relationship already; maybe they should just stay the way they were. But would they be able to? Would there come a time when they would want to hold each other close again, kiss again, make love... That's what Lilly had called it. _You enjoyed it,_ a voice in the back of her head told her. She _had_ enjoyed it, she realized, and as she remembered the feel of Lilly in her arms, trembling in release, she knew the other girl had enjoyed it as well. _But that's a whole new 'thang' to deal with right there!_ Were they ready to deal with it? Maybe it would just be safer if they went with Lilly's plan; put it down to a moment of Hannah and Lola insanity, and never talk about it again.

Even as she got up and headed towards the doors leading out of the Hannah-closet, Miley still had no idea what she was going to say to Lilly.

Lilly, meanwhile, had gotten changed into her own pajamas and removed her make-up. The red wig was gone, her sexy Lola outfit packed away where Lilly didn't have to see it, and her blonde hair was tied up in a messy ponytail. She had taken out her contacts and was now wearing her black-rimmed glasses. As she sat on Miley's bed, idly flipping through one of her friend's music magazines, she couldn't help but think about what would happen when Miley came back, despite the fact that she had promised herself she wouldn't. She'd done all that she could - Miley knew how Lilly felt, knew the possibilities. But now it was up to Miley to decide. Lilly would still love her regardless, but would abide by whatever the other girl decided - it was Miley's feelings that were most important to Lilly. Lilly was still a little worried that she may have been too aggressive and taken things too far. Honestly, she had expected Miley to stop her at some stage, whilst desperately hoping she wouldn't. Even if Miley decided she just wanted to stay as friends, Lilly took some comfort in knowing that her feelings couldn't have been _entirely_ one-sided - else Miley would never have welcomed her advances as enthusiastically as she did. And at least they had the memory of one wonderful night as Lola and Hannah! Even if Lilly did end up running damage control for Lola's impulsiveness, it was still worth it.

Hearing the doors to Miley's wardrobe softly shut, Lilly looked up and smiled, seeing Miley standing there, leaning casually back against her wardrobe doors, all traces of Hannah gone. _The real Miley. Just how I like her._

"Hey Miley."

As soon as Miley saw Lilly - plain, reliable, comfortable, best-friend-forever Lilly, with no sign of Lola anywhere - sitting there on her bed in her pajamas and dorky glasses, just like any other sleepover they'd ever had, Miley knew what her decision was. Knew without a doubt what she wanted them to be to each other - what she _needed_ them to be to each other. And it was reliable, and comfortable, and safe. And it might not please everyone, but there was no other way it could be - after all, no matter what Hannah and Lola might get up to, this was _Miley and Lilly _they were talking about, and they could only ever be themselves. It was an easy choice, really.

One look into Lilly's eyes, and Miley knew that Lilly knew. Miley smiled back at her friend, and slowly walked over to sit beside her on the bed.

"Hey Lilly." They looked at each other without speaking for a second, and then Miley chuckled and shook her head slightly.

"You're pretty amazing, you know that? You planned the whole thing, didn't you? The talk in the limo, what happened at the party... The entire night. You planned it _all,_ so that this part, right here, would be easy... Comfortable."

Lilly just continued to smile, neither confirming nor denying what Miley was saying.

"I'm lucky to have such a great friend," said Miley.

"Me too," Lilly replied softly.

Then Miley leaned in, cupping Lilly's face in one hand and quickly closing the distance between them, to kiss her firmly but gently on the mouth. A long, slow kiss full of both love and desire, leaving no doubt at all about her feelings.

When they finally broke apart to get some air and gaze into each other's eyes, foreheads resting against each other, Miley said in a voice full of confidence: "I _love_ you, Lilly Truscott!"

"I love you too, Miley Stewart!" Lilly answered in an equally-assured manner.

"So we're in love... With each other..." Miley knew she sounded corny, but she couldn't seem to stop herself from rambling.

"Yeah," Lilly added helpfully.

"Whoa!"

"Whoa!" agreed Lilly.

"Lilly... when..."

"When did I realize I loved you? I don't even remember. Seems like forever-ago now. When did I decide to do something about it? A couple of days ago when I saw that magazine article. Knew I could use it to test the waters. I decided to make Lola like girls, and carry on like that at the party, so that I could see your reaction. If you reacted badly, I'd stop. But if you reacted okay, I'd take it to the next level." Lilly blushed and looked down. "Turns out, we ended up taking it all the way." Miley ignored her own blush, and took both of Lilly's hands in her own, silently encouraging her to continue.

"I knew that whatever happened had to happen as Hannah and Lola, so that if it didn't work out, we could keep it separate from Miley and Lilly." Lilly wasn't sure she had explained that part well, but Miley seemed to get the idea.

"It's like, it was safer for them to do it, since they're not really real?"

"Yeah," agreed Lilly. "Fewer consequences. And I had to surprise you, so that I'd get an honest reaction, which is why I came on so strong with no warning. I didn't want you to pretend to like me because you felt sorry for me or didn't want me to feel rejected. I'm sorry if I freaked you out or rushed things too much. To tell you the truth, that _wasn't_ really how I imagined our first time."

"You've imagined our first time before?" Miley felt a little scandalized by this for some reason. "I've never imagined anything like that!" The brunette paused. "I guess that's why I needed you to show me like this... Show me your feelings... Show me _my_ feelings... Show what we can have together..." Miley trailed off, picking up on something Lilly said earlier. "Lilly, I meant it when I said I love you. I'd never say that just out of pity or because I felt I had to. We made a promise to each other a long time ago, to always be honest with each other. That hasn't changed one bit!"

"Yeah... I know. Guess I just needed to be sure."

"You can be sure that Miley loves Lilly." Miley knew she was sounding corny again, but it just felt nice to say it. It was even nicer to hear it in return.

"Lilly loves Miley, too." This time it was Lilly who leaned in to initiate the kiss, which was just as wonderful as the previous one. Neither girl thought they'd ever get sick of this.

"You know..." Miley's voice was low and husky as she spoke close to Lilly's ear. "Since neither one of us has to get up early tomorrow... why don't you show me how you _did_ imagine making love to me."

Lilly was all-too-happy to oblige. And from a metaphorical box in the corner of Lilly Truscott's mind, Lola Luftnagle pumped her fist in the air in triumph. _Misbehavior achieved..._


End file.
